author-img
Laurence Bohan
Content Writer
Laurence Bohan
Content Writer

Laurence is a copywriter and trained journalist. His passion is creating insightful and educational content for dental professionals of every level. Outside of work, he enjoys watching sport, quizzing and spending time with his family.

“NHS dentistry is in crisis and a staff exodus is inevitable.” Those were the words of Shawn Charlwood, Chair of the British Dental Association’s (BDA) General Dental Practice Committee. According to a recent BDA poll, 30% of dentists are considering going fully private, while 47% are “likely” or “extremely likely” to reduce their NHS commitments. The reasons for this will vary from dentist to dentist, but many would point to long-standing NHS care challenges and pressures that have intensified with Covid and Brexit. Issues range from staff shortages and pay to treatment restrictions and unrealistic targets. Many see private dentistry as the answer. We’ll explore some of the pros and cons commonly given by dentists.

Less red tape

Constraints on capacity imposed by the NHS during the pandemic had a huge impact on the number of patients that could be seen. Roughly 38 million appointments were lost since March 2020. Some NHS patients are facing up to a three-year wait for an appointment. Though still subject to changes in infection control procedures and Care Quality Commission (CQC) requirements, the impact on private dentistry has been much less.

Better work-life balance

One of the main takeaways from the pandemic for many people has been a newly discovered appreciation of how time away from the workplace can improve personal wellbeing. Being able to spend a bit more time at home with family can have a huge impact on reducing stress levels and even increase productivity. A private practice also has greater freedom over its opening hours. Working privately allows the dentist to work during evenings or weekends if they wish.

Copyright ® 2024 Kent Express Ltd. All rights reserved.